I have a story to share with all my brothers and sisters of the tradgang. I meant to write this up a couple months ago when it happened but life doesn't seem to slow much around here. Now that i have been quarantined for the next couple of weeks (everyone is fine thank the lord, my wife just can't smell our one year old's diapers. I guess that is the best covid silver lining I've heard of so far). Without further delay....
It was an average Saturday afternoon. After reading copious volumes of sesame street and dinosaur books my 3 year old daughter was finally asleep. I was just sitting down to give my pregnant wife a foot rub (believe what you may here but as the story teller I get to paint myself a hero) when from the back room came the familiar thumping of my youngest daughter.
When this girl wakes up there is no quite cuddles or sleepy snuggles. Instead she grips the bars of her cage (crib) and rattles them for freedom like an extra in a prison movie. Worried that she might wake her older sister I grabbed my trusted Bear Super Kodiak (black beauty blem #55 @ 28", thanks to Big Jim), my tradgang St. Judes quiver, a kid carrier backpack and the inmate in question and made a break for the door. It being archery season I left my trusted pack of labradors behind, a choice I would come to regret....
:coffee: :campfire:
Eva and I headed to a favorite riverside spot of mine. The bulk of the 400+ acres of public land is spruce and fir forest with flood breaks filled with maple, Aspen and cottonwood. The public land in this area is surrounded by small farms and little suburban neighborhoods. Our town is directly across the river from this spot.
Eva and I began working North off one of the main hiking trails. We slipped along a deer trail in one of the hardwood breaks between the only two open fields. The brush and trees are thick in this spot but the whole break is probably only 100' wide.
About 40 yards after leaving the main trail we spotted a few loose goose feathers. As we continued there were clumps of feathers, like some small predator had gotten a hold of a goose but had been hard pressed to finish it off. Thinking that we might find a coyote or a fox when we got to the kill I put a judo point on the string and began creeping along the trail. Eva, sensing my focus had gotten quiet and watchful as well.
Finally after another 30-40 yards of quiet stalking I spotted the body of a goose through the brush. Something was off though. The goose was too white to be a canada and it was too early in the year for any other species. Also this goose was much to big. As we slowly crept closer it began to move. The goose took a few staggering steps but then sat back down, for all appearances like an animal that is dying but still moving on adrenaline alone. As we got closer I realized why everything looked wrong. This was a domestic goose! The poor creature had one wing ripped off, an eye was hanging loose from the socket, blood dripped from a large gash in its chest. Looking at it I was filled with pity and began to put tension on the string, thinking to finish it off.
Some instinct stopped me. That feeling of eyes on you that we as hunters all know. I quickly replaced the judo on my sting with my best zwickey broadhead, scanning the woods for what I had missed. Fatherly instincts took over my hunters desire to find what triggered my reaction. Realizing I only had my bow and pocket knife to defend my daughter I decided I would feel much better if I were out in the open on either side of this break rather than in the thick brush in the middle. From previous knowledge I knew that the brush opened up in another 50 feet. From there I could easily get back into the open field.
:coffee:
Slowly Eva and I crept through the woods, the dark lifting incrementally with each step I took. After another 10 feet we came across a large patch of feathers. Not sure if they were from the same goose I stopped and looked around, taking in my surroundings. A flicker of movement caught my eye... and from behind a large petrified pine stump slinked an adult mountain lion! It was looking our direction, i'm sure confused by the four-armed, two-headed monster that faced it. The lion blocked our path, to each side was heavy brush and behind us was it's meal. I stood up straight to make us larger, sure that it would run. In response the lion pulled back its lips to reveal its large front fangs and began to hiss.
Hook line and sinker....
I growled in return, a tactic that has worked in the past on black bears and wolves I've encountered while working out in the woods. When the lion's only reaction was to pull its lips further back I realized this was not a bluff. Cursing myself for not buying a lion tag this year I began to draw. The possibility of losing my hunting privileges for a couple years well worth protecting my little girl. Thankfully Eva was still silent and still, this was not a stump shot to be missed due to her wriggling. A calm settled over me. Realizing there was no clean body shot through the brush I focused on the black at the back of the lions throat. Never have I been so confident in a shot. I could visualize the arrow hitting its mark.
Just as I prepared to release something else shifted from behind the stump. I reduced the tension on the sting as out bounced a playful fuzzy lion kitten. Oblivious to me, she pranced past her mother, headed away from Eva and I. The mother lion and I both began to back away, two predators ready to kill to protect our young. For a moment we locked eyes in mutual understanding. As the lion turned away I finally began to breath again. WHAP! something hit me in the back of the head! I jumped out of my skin, turning quicker that I thought I was able. Eva giggled as she hit me again with the small branch she had pulled off the dead maple we were standing under. Laughing under my breath I contorted myself through the brush backwards to get Eva and I to the field beyond. Once we were clear of the brush out in the field I looked back to check on my sweet girl. Sound asleep and snoring.
Wow!!
What an intense moment that had to be.
Two adult predators locked in on each other, while two youngsters remain oblivious to the dangers around them.
Great job painting a picture.
Nice experience, all ended well except for the goose....
:clapper: Cool unexpected report!
Awesome storytelling! Good to hear everything turned out well!
Well told...Clearly Eva has some wholesome adventures ahead of her with an awesome dad :thumbsup:
That was really cool, especially the way it turned out.
Very cool story!!!!
Bisch
Awesome story and memory to be shared
Don
Wow! I have a feeling that is going to be an oft-told tale as your daughter grows up! Glad there was a happy ending for both parties.
Cool story, thanks for sharing
Awesome story!
Great Memory! Thanks for sharing the story. Glad it turned out well.
Cool story,glad it worked out.